ABOVE ALL by J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear, Pastor of the Summit Church and the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, has a new book out. The book shares, by no coincidence, the same title as the 2019 Convention theme. It’s called Above All: The Gospel is the Source of the Church’s Renewal (B&H, 2019). There's no doubt that Greear is passionate about the gospel, and how we live it out in the Christian life, but I had my doubts about this book offering anything more than what's already in Greear's previous books. I was wrong.

After the SBC annual meeting, I was a bit more curious about what he had to say in the pages of Above All. It didn’t hurt that I got a free copy at the SBC meeting. I started flipping through the book and decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did. It wasn't that there's anything new in this book, but it's another reminder of our priorities and how we view (or don't) view the gospel of Jesus in all we do as believers and as the Church. This book is about how we position (or reposition) the gospel in our worldview.

Greear is serious about the subject, and that comes out in the pages. His writing style, as usual, is fun and easy to read. It's punchy but includes some thought breaks and jokes and light-hearted stuff too.

Unfortunately, this book seemed rushed. I suspect the goal was to get this in the hands of Southern Baptist before the annual meeting (or at the meeting). The cost of the rush seems to have been in the editing. It wasn't as tight as it could be and there were typos here and there. (This reviewer has typos and problems all the time, but that's not normal for B&H or Greear.)

I discussed the breakdown, the nuts and bolts, and many other thoughts in my video review. I also point out some examples and discuss some of the illustrations he used. You can watch the video here:

I recommend this book to Christians who want a reminder of the importance and significance of the gospel in everyday life and the life of the church.

Purchase Above All: The Gospel is the Source of The Church's Renewal wherever books are sold. Or save yourself some time and follow this link to the Amazon listing.

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